Build a Career
That Changes
Your World

Unlike other career platforms, you don’t need to have a college degree, or plan to get one, to use altPath. altPath is for anyone exploring or setting career goals at any stage of life, but is especially helpful for people who are career changers, returning to the workforce, exploring non-traditional training paths, or looking for faster routes to employment. This includes people with no degree, some college experience, a completed degree, or prior work experience.

altPath highlights programs often overlooked by traditional college advising tools, such as vocational schools, apprenticeships, workforce development programs, community colleges, and certificate programs. altPath is not designed for four-year college admissions planning or for comparing universities based on rankings, campus life, or admissions strategy. While you’ll find information about careers that require master’s or doctorate degrees, we don’t directly connect users to graduate programs.

Yes. altPath is completely free for users and will remain free. There are no hidden paywalls, subscriptions, or upsells. Creating an account is free and optional, though some features require an account to provide personalized recommendations. altPath is funded by the Leonetti/O’Connell Family Foundation–they are a family with a deep and inspiring commitment to expanding access to education and opportunity. We invite other funders with similar missions to join us in the effort so altPath can stay free to you. Funders do not influence how we make recommendations or how we handle your data. Your data is never sold.

No prior experience or formal skills are required to get started. You are the most important ingredient. You already bring interests, strengths, and values that count, whether they come from work, school, family, or life experience. Everything you bring to the table today matters. Many training programs on altPath are designed for beginners and start from zero. Some programs do have prerequisites, such as age or geographic requirements, and we clearly share those requirements up front. As you set goals, altPath points you to the best opportunities for gaining the skills and experience needed to unlock a career path.

Training time varies based on the career path you choose. Some programs take as little as 8 to 12 weeks, while others take several months or multiple years. altPath includes short-term workforce programs, year-long vocational training, and multi-year apprenticeships. We prioritize training partners with proven outcomes and strong job placement records so you can make smart investments with your time.

We take your privacy very seriously. We collect the minimum amount of information needed to deliver personalized recommendations and grant support. Your data is never sold. When you create an account, we collect your email address. When you take the Match Me quiz, we collect your ZIP code to personalize training recommendations. If you apply for altAid funding, we collect additional information such as date of birth, identifying documents, and basic demographic data to award grants and track funding distribution. We also analyze usage patterns in aggregate to improve altPath. You control what information is shared with any training provider partners.

Your personalized career matches are delivered, no strings attached, as soon as you take Match Me. Our recommendations are truly customized for you—no generic profiles—and they’re just the start of our personalized support. We’ll guide you, step by step, from exploring your matches to confidently choosing the right training opportunity to launch your next career.

Career matches are based on what you tell us and trusted public data sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET from the U.S. Department of Labor. We look at interests, goals, skills, values, pay, and job demand to make recommendations. Our matching system keeps improving, and your feedback helps make it better. While results don’t yet update automatically over time, more updates are on the way.

altPath is a nonprofit, and we measure success by lives changed, not profits earned. Our team includes social workers, career coaches, student development professionals, and product builders who believe you deserve financial stability and work you can feel proud of. That belief guides every decision we make, so you can trust us to put your goals first. We use regularly updated data from reliable national and local sources and present it in clear, useful ways. You’ll hear from real people in real jobs, with none of the AI slop or noise of social media. We build science-backed decision-making tools to support confident choices, not unpredictable AI chats that add confusion and overwhelm. We also work directly with training programs, so your information isn’t sold or sent into a void. We’re special because we’re better for you, and we hope you’ll see the difference for yourself.

altPath users who enroll in an eligible training program can apply for altAid, but may only receive an altAid grant once within 12 months. Eligible programs are non–bachelor degree programs based in the United States that lead to a credential recognized by an accrediting body or industry group. Eligible programs are clearly labeled on altPath. Both part-time and full-time students are eligible to apply. To apply, you must submit proof of enrollment, and we must confirm that the program meets eligibility requirements. altAid funding is limited, so not every application is approved. Applications are prioritized based on need and impact.